Truth is, the players do not need Bochy to chuck food at the walls with John Belushi gusto. They know how badly they have played the past three weeks. Moreover, the front office has to lean on the players it has because panic moves in June do not achieve desired results.

In losing 8-0 and 7-1 at Busch Stadium, the Giants had one runner reach third base.

Brandon Belt's leadoff double in the seventh inning of the nightcap, followed by Andres Torres' RBI single, stood between the Giants and their first scoreless doubleheader since 1943. That New York team lost 98 games.

As it was, the Cardinals swept the Giants in St. Louis for the first time since 1962 by manhandling their top two starters, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner.

Photo: Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images

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ST. LOUIS, MO - JUNE 1: Starter Matt Cain #18 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during game one of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium on June 1, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) less

ST. LOUIS, MO - JUNE 1: Starter Matt Cain #18 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during game one of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium on June 1, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri. ... more

Photo: Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images

Giants swept in DH with top 2 pitchers

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With Angel Pagan and Pablo Sandoval hurt and unavailable, the Giants had insufficient firepower for one game against the best team in the majors, much less two.

Rookie of the Year candidate Shelby Miller blanked the Giants over seven innings in the afternoon, then watched Adam Wainwright go the distance for his eighth win.

In stark contrast, the Cardinals batted around in the third inning of both games, pinning a seven-spot on Cain and then scoring three against Bumgarner.

"It's a tough day. No getting around it," Bochy said. "We scored one run, and they played great. We ran into two really well-pitched games. You have to play real well to win those. It just got away from us."

The Giants have been chasing competence for the past three weeks without making up much ground. They are 6-12 in their past 18 games. They have lost eight straight on the road, and 15 of their past 19.

To break the road streak they turn to Chad Gaudin, who will start Sunday for the first time since September 2009, with the Yankees, a game he won.

The Giants need more than a solid five or six innings from Gaudin. They need Pagan and Sandoval back in the lineup, and both remain question marks.

Pagan was supposed to return from a hamstring strain Saturday but was not ready. Bochy would not commit to a Sunday return, either. The Giants are nearing the point where it makes sense to place Pagan on the disabled list and get another healthy outfielder up here.

Sandoval was walking a lot better on his strained foot Saturday than Friday, but Bochy did not sound optimistic that his No. 3 hitter will be back for Tuesday's home game against Toronto.

Undermanned or not, the Giants need their pitchers to execute, and they are failing.

In the third inning of the second game, Bumgarner walked Pete Kozma with one out and got ahead of Wainwright 0-2 after two foul bunts. Bumgarner then left a cookie over the plate, "dropping his guard," as Bochy put it, and the Cards' pitcher slammed it for a double.

Jon Jay then hit a grounder to first. Belt made a perfect throw home, but Kozma beat it. Bochy faulted catcher Guillermo Quiroz for standing too far in front of the plate.

Bumgarner was close to escaping with one run when he hung a 1-2 slider to Carlos Beltran, who smashed it past a diving Brandon Crawford for a two-run single and a 3-0 St. Louis lead. With no Sandoval, Pagan or Posey in the lineup, the Giants effectively were done.